Adjustable crossfooter pickup



Jan. 27, 1953 E. L. WISE ADJUSTABLE CROSSFOOTER PICKUP Filed Dec. 4,1951 FT 6 PF OR ART Pin- in? h l INVENTOR. ELMEI? L. WISE Patented Jan.27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 2,626,748 ADJUSTABLE oRossFoo'rEnPICKUP Elmer L. Wise, Farmington, Conn., assignor to UnderwoodCorporation, New York, N. Y.-, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationDecember 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,773

7 2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to combined computing and recordingmachines and more particularly to combined computing and typewritingmachines wherein a plurality of socalled column registers and one ormore cross"- computing registers or crossfooter's are provided forreceiving amounts digit by digit as the numeral keys of the typewriterare operated.

In the type of machine to which this inventionappertains, an actuator ormaster wheel is mounted for relative letter-feed movement with respectto the column registers and a master wheel is also provided for eachcrossfooter for a relative letter-feed movement with respect thereto.The master wheels are rotated in syn: chronism with one another byoperation of mimeral keys, and the relative movement between thecrossfooter and the crossfooter actuator is effected by means on thecolumn register as the column register and column register actuator arerelatively moved. I V we The particular machine chosen to illustratethis invention is known commercially as the Elliott-Fisher accountingmachine, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat oertainaspects of the invention are equally applicable to machines of the Wahltype. V

In the Elliott-Fisher machine, the master wheels are all mounted in theso-called head or type carrying portion of the machine which is mountedfor letter-space movement over a subjac'ent flat platen. Thecrossfooters are also mounted in the head of the machine, while thecolumn registers are mounted on a line-space frame having noletter-space movement; As the head is letter spaced through the zone ofa column register, the column register master wheel moves intoengagement with the various wheels of the column register and amountsare entered digit by digit into the register. There is a pick-upmechanism for each crossfooter' master wheel and means hasformerly beenprovided on certain of the column registers to contact one or bothpick-up mechanisms as the head moves into the zone of the register tothereby, through such pick-up mechanism, cause the crossfcoter'masterwheel to move step by step across the wheels of the crossfooter forsimultaneous actuation of the register and crossfooter.

It frequently happens that, with a machine set up to operatesimultaneously in one or both crossfooters while in the zone of aregister, it becomes desirable to discontinue for extended periods theoperation of one or the other or both crossfooterswhile continuing tooperate in' that register. Prior to the present invention, such extendedsuppression of the normal operation may be conveniently manipulated toeither cause simultaneous operation of one or both crossfooters and theregister or to suppress the operation of one or both crossfooters Whilepermitting continued operation of the column register.

This and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent asthe description of the invention proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a machine with which theinvention is adapted to be employed and showing the pick-up mechanismfor the crossfooters,

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of the mechanism shownin Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of thelo'wer portion of a columnregister showing a device of the present invention applied thereto,

Figure 4 is an end view of the structure illustrated in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the device'which in Figure 3 is shownapplied to a column-register,

Figure 6 is a view partially in section'illustrating the prior artstructure employed to prevent crossfooter operation in columns wherecrossfooters are normally operated; and v Figure 7 is a perspective viewof a so-called neutralizer cam employed by the prior art for eliminatingcrossfooter operation.

A machine of the type to which-this invention is particularly applicableis fully described in the copending application, No. 552,656; filedSeptember 4, 1944, in the name of O; J Sundstrand, and only so much ofthe machine is shown in the present drawing as is necessary for anunderstanding of the invention.

The machine shown and described in the copending Sundstrand applicationcomprises a platen frame, a" substantially flat platen sup ported insaid frame, a line-space frame mounted on the platen frame for forwardand rearward movement over the platen to line space, and a head or typecarriage carried by the line-space frame and arranged for lateralmovement on said frame in letter-spacing and return directions; In thedrawing of the present application, a portion of type bars and mechanismfor operating said. bars including suitable keys. Upon successive 01eration of the keys, the head moves forward in letter-feed directionwith astep by step motion under control of a suitable escapementmechanism.

A master wheel or column register actuator I6 is mounted in the head tomesh with the numeral wheels l of the register as the head moves intoa'computing zone. The master wheel is shifted step by step by theletter-spacing movement of the carriage from numeral wheel to thenumeral wheel of the register to select the required denomination insaid wheels. The master actuator wheel is differentially rotated toenter the numerals or digits into the column register in accordance withthe depressed numeral keys by gearing l1 driven by a shaft l8 which isrotated differential amounts as described in the copending Sundstrandapplication.

The machine to which the present invention is particularly applicable isprovided with a pair of cross-computing registers or crossfooters, butsince they are identical in construction only one of them will beparticularly described in the present application. In Figure 1 theright-hand crossfooter is generally designated at l9 and comprisesnumber wheels and indicator wheels 2| connected by suitable gearing. Thecrossfooter is provided with a suitable master actuator wheel 22arranged to be advanced laterally step by step from denomination todenomination alon the number wheels to correspond with the movement ofthe master wheel 16 from denomination to denomination along the numeralwheels of the column register. The master wheel 22 is differentiallydriven through suitable gearing 23 from a gear 24 fixed to one end ofthe shaft Hi to correspond with the differential rotation imparted bythe master wheel 16 to the wheels of the column register.

' The master wheel 22 i slidably mounted upon a rotatable square shaft25 journalled in bearings in side frame plates 26 of the crossfooter.The mechanism for shifting the master wheel 22 along the shaft 25comprises an actuator carriage 21 arranged to slide on a horizontal rail28 secured in the frame of the crossfooter. The actuator carriage 2'! isprovided with an arm engaged within a groove in the master wheel 22 tocause the master wheel to follow the movementof said carriage and isconnected by a link 29 to a forwardly extending crank arm 30 fixed tothe upper end of a vertical rockshaft 3 l. A rearwardly extending arm 32is fixed to the lower end of the rockshaft 3| and is connected by a link33 to a longitudinally slidable coupling bar 34. The bar 34 is mountedfor sliding movement on a plurality of rollers 35 between a pair oflaterally spaced housing plates 36.

The rockshaft 3! is acted upon by a coil spring 31 connected with thearm 32 which tends to swing the shaft in a direction to maintain thecarriage 21 in starting position with the master wheel 22 in a positionjust above the first number wheel 28. This spring, acting through theconnecting mechanism, urges the coupling bar to the right, Figure 1. Acoupling dog 38 is pivoted at 39 upon the coupling bar and is acted uponby a coil spring 40 which tends to swing same upwardly into position toengage and interlock with a lug secured to the base of the columnregister I4. A pin or stud M is mounted on the coupling dog 38 andengages in an elongated slot 42 formed in the adjacent housing plate 36,the stud cooperating with cams formed at the opposite ends of the slotto swing the dog downwardly out of engaging position with relation tothe lug on the column register. Normally the dog 38 lies in its upper oroperative position as shown in Figure 2 with the pin 4! located in therighthand portion of the slot 42 and adjacent to the cam at thecorresponding end of the slot. When the carriage has advanced theprinting point to a position within one letter space of a columnarposition on the work sheet at which a number is to be printed or aposition at which the master wheel I6 of the column register actuatingmechanism is within one space of the first number wheel I5 of a columnregister, the coupling dog 38 will engage the lug on the register andwill hold the slide 3 stationary during the continued advance of thecarriage. Because of the relative movement of the carriage upon whichthe crossfooter mechanism is mounted and the slide 34, the master wheel22 will be advanced from denomination to denomination across thecorresponding series of number wheels 20. When the master wheel 22advances one step beyond the lowest denominational order of a columnregister, the pin 4! on the coupling dog is engaged by the cam at theleft-hand end of the cam slot, Figure 2, and the dog is depressed out ofengagement with the lug thereby releasing the coupling slide. Therockshaft is then swung by the spring 3'! in a direction to carry themaster wheel 22 back to its'normal or starting position, and thecoupling slide is moved back to the right to its starting position shownin Figure 2.

The coupling bar 34 and the parts associated therewith constitute apick-up mechanism for relatively shifting the accumulator mechanism andthe actuator mechanism of the crossfooter.

As explained in the above referred to Sundstrand application, there isalso a pick-up mechanism for the left-hand crossfooter but, in thepresent drawing, only a coupling bar 43 and dog 64 of the second pick-upmechanism are shown.

The normal operation of the crossfooters is addition but either one orboth may be caused to perform subtraction by manipulation of leversprovided for that purpose. vided for causing subtractive crossfooteroperation in certain columnar positions and such mechanism is fullyexplained in the above referred to Sundstrand application, it beingsufficient for the purpose of explaining the advantages of the presentinvention to point out that depression of rollers 25, Figures 1 and 6,normally causes the crossfooters to subtract.

In the prior art, as well as with the present invention, a generallyL-shaped support 46 is secured to the bottom of each column register, asby means of screws 5?. In the prior art, see Figure 6, a member 48provided with a lug :39 was secured to the support 46 and as the typehead moved into the zone of the column register, the lug 49 wascontacted by the dogs 33 and 44 of the pick-up mechanisms, to thereaftercause Means is also pro- 5. movement of thecrossfooter master Wheelsinto engagement with the numeral wheels of the crossfooters, as abovedescribed. If it was desired to work, say, in only the rightcrossiooter, a member E8 having a lug only wide enough to contact thedog 38 had to be provided. If it was desirable to work in the leftcrossfooter only, a lug positioned to contact only the dog 44 had to beprovided. If both orossfooters were to be employed, a member 48 having alug wide enough to contact both dogs 38 and 4,4, as shown in Figure 6,had to be provided. Thus, it was necessary to manufacture threedifierent styles of members it, and once one of them was attached to theregister, it was necessary to remove the register from the machine inorder to replace the member 48 to change crossfooter selection.

Automatic crossfooter subtraction is effected in the same manner in boththe prior art and in the present machine. The vertical arm of theL-shaped support 48 is slotted as indicated in Figure 4 at 56, and a pinor rivet is fixed in the center of said vertical arm and extends throughthe slot. A spring member 52 is held against one side of the verticalarm of the support it by a headed portion of the pin 5| and serves tomaintain a pair of detent balls 53 within openings provided therefor inone leg of the vertical arm of the member 46 and in position topartially block the slot 59. When it is desired to perform subtractionfor an extended period in a crossfooter, a subtraction cam is fittedwithin the slot 5i]. The subtraction cams are generally similar to theneutralizer cam shown in Figure '7 which is provided with a notch 54 forfitting around the pin 51 and with a pair of holes 55 for cooperationwith the detent balls 53. The subtraction cam may have a camming portionwide enough to cooperate with both subtraction rollers 45 or may have acamming portion arranged to cooperate with only one of the rollers 35.

In the prior art, when it was desired to suppress the operation of anormally operated crossfooter, a so-called neutralizer cam was employed.Such a cam is shown in Figure '7 and was provided with a subtractiondetermining cam portion 55 and with a neutralizing cam portion 5'5. Withthe neutralize-r cam mounted within the slot 59, the neutralizingportion 51 was contacted by a pin 53 on the pick-up dog 44 to rock thedog down out of position to be contacted by the lug d9, so that eventhough the column register had a lug for normally picking up thecrossfooter, the crossfooter would not be picked up when a neutralizercam was provided.

In the prior art, the pick-up dog 33 for the right crossfooter wasprovided with a pin 59 underlying a hooked arm 66 of a bail Si pivotedon one of the housing plates 3'5 at 62 and having an operating arm 63.When it was desired to suppress operation of the right-hand crossiooter,a neutralizer cam having a camming portion 64 was employed and thiscamming portion was contacted by the operating arm 63 to thereby rockthe hooked arm [in in a direction to lower the dog 38 to a positionwhere it would not contact the lug 49.

The above explanation of the prior art has been given so that theadvantages of the present invention may be more readily understood. Itwill be apparent that a considerable number of detachable parts, whichmay easily become lost, were required to obtain complete flexibility ofcrossiooter operation, as Well as a number of non-detachable parts. Inthe present invention only one element is required for neutralizing oneor the other or both crossfooters, and that one element remains fixed tothe machine, or at least fixed to the column register.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5 it will be seen that a. member in the form of ablock 65 is secured to the L-shaped support .3. The block is providedwith a pair of threaded openings 66 and the support is provided with twopairs of holes 61 and 63; Screws 69 are employed to secure the block 55to the support in either of two positions, for a reason to be presentlyexplained.

The block 65 is provided with a pair of slots within which are pivotallymounted, upon a rod a pair of pick-up mechanism actuator clogs H and i2;Each dog isprovided with a protrusion 53 having apair of oppositelysloped surfaces, and one arm ifilof a two-armed leaf spring 15 securedto the block 65 bears against each protrusion. Thus, with the dog H inthe active position shown in the drawing, an arm M bears against one ofthe sloped Surfaces of the protrusion 13 to detent the dog in thatposition. When the dog "I! is manually moved to the position in whichthe dog 12 is shown, the arm of the spring bears against the oppositelysloped surface to detent the dog in that position. With the dog II inthe down position, it will intercept the dog 38 of the right crossfooterpick-up mechanism, as indicated in Figure 2 and with the dog H in the upposition the right crossfooter will not be operated. The dog "i2, 01course, controls the left crossfooter.

Thus it will be seen that by merely flipping the dogs ii and '12 up ordown, either or both crossfooters may be operated or not, as desired. Agreat saving of parts is obtained, as above pointed out, and there areno detachable parts, which are apt to be lost.

It is sometimes desirable to use a column register with a machine havinga crossfooter of greater capacity than the column register. If it isdesired to use the register shown in the drawing with a crossfooterhaving a capacity of one more denomination than the register, it ismerely necessary to remove the screws 69 and move the block E55 overinto alignment with the holes 61, the holes bl being ofiset one letterspace from the holes 68 for this purpose. In this position, the activedog "ll or [2 will be contacted by the corresponding pick-up dog 38 or44 two letter spaces before the master Wheel Hi reaches the registerwheels i5 and accordingly will move the crossfooter master wheel 22 tothe denominational order corresponding to the highest denomination ofthe register before the entry of the first digit.

Having thu described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. In an accounting machine having a column register, a pair of crosscomputing registers, pick-up mechanisms for relatively shiftingaccumulator mechanism and actuator mechanism of the cross computingregisters to correspond with the relative shifting of accumulatormechanism and actuator mechanism of the column register; the improvementcomprising a member attached to a column register, a pair of slots insaid memher, a pick-up mechanism actuator dog pivotally mounted in eachof said slots, a protrusion on each of said dogs, a leaf spring attachedto said. member, said spring having a pair of arms one of said armsbearing against the protrusion on one of said dogs and the other armbearing against the protrusion on the other of said dogs, saidprotrusion each having a pair of oppositely sloped surfaces, wherebysaid dogs may be individually pivotally moved between a pick-upmechanism intercepting position and a non-intercepting position and willbe detented in both positions by the cooperation of an arm of said leafspring with one of said sloped surfaces.

2. In an accounting machine having a column register, a pair of crosscomputing registers, pick-up mechanisms for relatively shiftingaccumulator mechanism and actuator mechanism of the cross computingregisters to correspond with the relative shifting of accumulatormechanism and actuator mechanism of the column register; the improvementcomprising a support attached to the column register, a block attachedto said support, means for attaching said block to said support in aplurality of positions, a pair of slots in said block, a pick-upmechanism actuator dog pivotally mounted in each of said slots, 3,protrusion on each of said dogs, a leaf spring attached to said block,said spring having a pair of arms one of said arms bearing against theprotrusion on one of said dogs and the other arm bearing against theprotrusion on the other of said dogs, said protrusions each having apair of oppositely sloped surfaces, whereby said dogs may beindividually pivotally moved between a pick-up mechanism interceptingposition and a non-intercepting position and will be detented in bothpositions by the cooperation of an arm of said leaf spring with one ofsaid sloped surfaces.

ELMER L. WISE.

No references cited.

